Search found 47 matches

by Susan Lalic
Mon Jan 14, 2019 8:52 pm
Forum: Junior Chess
Topic: ECF National Schools Girls tournament 2019
Replies: 11
Views: 4935

Re: ECF National Schools Girls tournament 2019

Thanks to Andrew for a fabulous day at St. Catherine's yesterday. Despite hosting 300 players, some of whom have never attended a chess event before, it is one of the most efficient and slickly run events in the chess calendar. The sponsors go above and beyond the call of duty and it is the highligh...
by Susan Lalic
Sun Jan 20, 2013 8:52 pm
Forum: Junior Chess
Topic: ECF Girls Semi-Final South - Full Results
Replies: 5
Views: 2394

Re: ECF Girls Semi-Final South - Full Results

It was an amazing turn out considering it was snowing all day!
Well worth attending due to the excellent hospitality:
Free lunch for competitors and parents, spacious venue, team rooms, a cafe, parking attendants, first rate arbiters...
Thanks to Andrew and St. Catherine's for doing such a superb job.
by Susan Lalic
Sun Aug 19, 2012 7:47 am
Forum: Junior Chess
Topic: Telegraph report about Austria
Replies: 191
Views: 29257

Re: Telegraph report about Austria

I agree with a lot of the comments from Andrew and John. It was worrying that some people took the dignified silence of the accused as a sign of guilt, rather than observing that they were committed to following and respecting the channels of authority. I would describe the accused family as unassum...
by Susan Lalic
Tue Apr 03, 2012 8:56 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: FIDE Rated In January NOT in March.
Replies: 56
Views: 10461

Re: FIDE Rated In January NOT in March.

Paul Cooksey wrote:I'm worried that if the ECF don't appoint an IRO soon then Paul may spontaneously combust
I think Paul would make a great IRO.
In my experience of working with Paul, he is not happy unless the grading results are out within a few hours of a chess event finishing.
by Susan Lalic
Wed Jul 13, 2011 2:25 pm
Forum: Junior Chess
Topic: Southern Gigafinal - Saturday 9th July 2011
Replies: 28
Views: 3959

Re: Southern Gigafinal - Saturday 9th July 2011

I agree with your last sentence. However, I had twins in the U-9 girls event and they both played with clocks for the second half of the tournament. Mike sometimes waits to see if clocks are necessary i.e. if any players are on the slow side. Some children have never played with clocks and it can b...
by Susan Lalic
Wed Jul 13, 2011 12:11 pm
Forum: Junior Chess
Topic: Southern Gigafinal - Saturday 9th July 2011
Replies: 28
Views: 3959

Re: Southern Gigafinal - Saturday 9th July 2011

I am surprised that on the higher boards, even if it were only in the lower age groups, there were not decent clocks. In the U11 girls, only the top 5 (or 6?) boards had clocks at all. The standard of the clocks definitely improved as Zoe moved up the boards, though. The digital ones I think may ha...
by Susan Lalic
Sat Jul 02, 2011 7:13 pm
Forum: ECF Matters
Topic: Surrey have won
Replies: 11
Views: 1739

Re: Surrey have won

After missing the finals due to being stuck in a traffic jam a few years ago, some of the team left at 9.15 a.m. just to play safe.
by Susan Lalic
Mon Jun 13, 2011 5:21 pm
Forum: Junior Chess
Topic: UKCC Mega Finals results?
Replies: 55
Views: 7725

Re: UKCC Mega Finals results?

Slight change in conversation... Just attended the finals of the problem solving competition that Mike Basman invited schools to enter along with the UK Chess Challenge. As always Mike was incredibly generous with the prizes. If you were an U-18 girl you were guaranteed to come away with at least £...
by Susan Lalic
Fri May 27, 2011 9:20 pm
Forum: Chess Questions
Topic: FIDE Rule 10.2 misconceptions
Replies: 86
Views: 14673

Re: FIDE Rule 10.2 misconceptions

I find this rule totally unfair, I recently encountered "The two minute rule", in Richmond, it was something of a deadlock position closed, King, Knight, five pawns against his King Bishop Five pawns. I had the Knight, and therefore my opponent had about 1.50 against my 5 minutes when he stopped th...
by Susan Lalic
Mon May 23, 2011 10:29 am
Forum: Junior Chess
Topic: UKCC Mega Finals results?
Replies: 55
Views: 7725

Re: UKCC Mega Finals results?

Good question! I think girls enjoy learning in a social environment and don't even necessarily think much about who are the strongest players. The question is why they give up in mixed schools? Graeme thinks it could be because the average girl is weaker than the average boy and thus finds chess aga...
by Susan Lalic
Mon May 23, 2011 9:00 am
Forum: Junior Chess
Topic: UKCC Mega Finals results?
Replies: 55
Views: 7725

Re: UKCC Mega Finals results?

Michael, I agree. Secondary school chess for girls is a disaster (in my experience from a business point of view) as the numbers plummet and there are only a few competitive players in the school. At that age they can go to an adult club, if serious, and that is what I recommend. The social players ...
by Susan Lalic
Mon May 16, 2011 8:39 am
Forum: Junior Chess
Topic: UKCC Mega Finals results?
Replies: 55
Views: 7725

Re: UKCC Mega Finals results?

Obviously I couldn't remember the names of the many different 'Finals'! I remember when I first read the names years ago.... thinking "But... Megafinal sounds better than Terafinal"! Pity that most of the kids in the 'Megafinal' won't actually be that good at chess (and because they are in the MEGA...
by Susan Lalic
Mon May 16, 2011 8:34 am
Forum: Junior Chess
Topic: UKCC Mega Finals results?
Replies: 55
Views: 7725

Re: UKCC Mega Finals results?

By way of comparison, in Berkshire we had a total Megafinal entry of just over 200. Of these 26 were teenagers. If my understanding is right then Surrey had almost 400 entrants, of whom about 28 were teenagers. What was excellent to see in the Surrey entry is that about 50% of participants were fem...
by Susan Lalic
Fri May 13, 2011 8:19 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: CCF v Surrey
Replies: 141
Views: 15831

Re: CCF v Surrey

I agree the clocks were there. I think they were thrown away. There were suggestions that Ben was persuaded by CCF to say he'd bought some replacements, with the logic that the Committee was more likely to refund Ben more quickly than CCF. In order to dispel any such rumours, I hope that Ben is able...
by Susan Lalic
Fri May 13, 2011 5:57 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: CCF v Surrey
Replies: 141
Views: 15831

Re: CCF v Surrey

Scott Freeman wrote: "The boards and sets that CCF lent for the tournaments were properly handed over by Susan Lalic, who counted them out to Howard. Obviously the clocks were not. The fact that Susan handed the boards and sets over shows that she took proper responsibility and appreciated the impor...